Hurricane Irma Poised to Strike Florida

Tomorrow and Monday are set as the main impact days for Florida as major hurricane Irma now begins to move away from the Cuban coast and head through the Florida Straits.  Over the last couple of days, the computer projections have shifted Irma's trajectory from the eastern part of the state to its western side...and now the Gulf coast from the Keys on northward is in peril of bearing the brunt of this dangerous storm.  Although the maximum sustained winds, once at 185 mph, have been recently reduced to 125 mph after its interaction with land on Cuba, Irma is expected to reintensify as it approaches Florida.  Gainesville will in all likelihood suffer hurricane-force winds when the worst part of it passes us Monday morning...that is, if Irma goes where the computers think it will. But tropical storm force winds will be already affecting us here for much of Sunday.  My hope is that it will travel quickly through and be gone as soon as possible.  Doubtless there will be widespread property damage and some loss of electricity and water...as well as localized flooding...

Right behind Irma and following close to its path is Hurricane Jose, now a strong Category 4 storm, which is now passing slightly to the north of the same Leeward Islands that Irma just devastated.  But one monster hurricane at a time, please...